New Delhi: Ford India, the Indian subsidiary of Ford Motor Co, has introduced a new line-up of the mid-size sedan Fiesta that will have a base starting price of Rs 5.93 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), a premium of Rs 5,500 over the earlier base variant of the car.

The three variants have been priced at Rs 5.93 lakh, Rs 6.2 lakh and Rs 6.9 lakh for the 1.4 EXI, 1.6 ZXI and 1.6 SXI respectively.

The new line-up (both petrol and diesel) will have driver-side air bag turn indicators and outside rear-view mirror as standard fitments.

The top-end variants of the new line up will sport ABS (anti-lock braking system), 6CD changer with 6 speakers, leather upholstery, key-less entry, electric boot release and driver side height adjustment.

Fiesta Duratorq, the diesel variant of the Fiesta has also been upgraded. The three diesel-powered variants will be priced at Rs 7.03 lakh, Rs 7.49 lakh and Rs 8.09 lakh for the 1.4 EXI, 1.4 ZXI and 1.4 SXI respectively.

According to the company, Ford Fiesta is arguably one of the finest mid size cars built to meet the standards of the Indian road conditions and its design makes it an elusive looking car that delivers outstanding performance.

The Fiesta has been a big contributor to sales since its launch in 2005. Since then, more than 65,000 Fiestas have been sold. With the launch of the Fiesta the Ford Ikon has now become an entry-level sedan in the C segment while the Fiesta occupies the premium C segment category.

Ford India announced a Rs 2,000 crore ($500 million) expansion plan early this year and may enter the small car segment in two years. It is also looking at a full portfolio of products in the next few years.

According to Scott McCormack, Ford India's vice president for marketing, sales, "The Fiesta is going to be here for the long term and we may make changes to freshen the product, in it its life cycle." He claims that the Ikon too will be a significant player in the Indian market for some time to come.

Much rides on the Fiesta's performance. For starters, the car has been designed for Indian markets with a diesel option that its competitors like the Aveo and the City ZX do not have.